Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki

The posture provides stability and puts one into a state of mind which provides freedom from the tyranny of constant thought.īreathing is at the heart of the practice.

The book gives simple instructions on the relaxed sitting position that is the core of zazen practice. When this is tried, the mind only wanders. Zazen practice is not done to 'achieve' a certain state of mind. If you feel your life is chaotic and lacks any real peace, this book can have a profound impact. It ceases to think in a dualistic way, in terms of polarities such as good and bad, or agreeable and disagreeable, and consequently can focus on the fullness of the moment, as it is. The beginner's mind goes beyond 'me' to the realization that it is just an expression of the larger universal Mind, and this naturally produces compassion. Our normal mind congratulates itself for achieving certain things, but such self-centered thoughts prevent us from really learning and seeing. What is meant by his term 'beginner's mind'? The purpose of Zen practice, the author explains, is to have a simple, pure mind, open to possibilities. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind was his one and only book, but has been treasured for its beautiful expression and life-changing insights. One of these practices, zazen, is a meditation posture that involves little more than sitting and breathing.ĭaisetz T Suzuki was the first to bring Zen philosophy to the West, but Zen master Shunryu Suzuki consolidated its influence by establishing the Zen Center in San Francisco in the 1960s.

It has become a familiar word to us, but what is Zen? When Buddhism spread to Japan, it gained its own distinctive flavor and practices, and became known as Zen Buddhism.

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind by Shunryu Suzuki